A fire containment case for use in private vehicles and on public transportation vehicles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,544,670 and shown in FIG. 1. The fire containment case provides a secure apparatus for selectively receiving and securing a portable electronic device and their batteries in the event of malfunction and combustion of the electronic device. The case is made of heat resistance construction to contain and control products of combustion from the device.
Typically, such combustion is occurring on a more frequent basis as people as passengers carry more and more personal electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, tablet computers, e-readers and other such devices that are powered by Li-ion batteries. Combustion events occur when the battery experiences a condition referred to as thermal runaway which proceeds exceedingly rapidly making it difficult to move the portable device from its remote location to inside the containment case without endangering anyone. For example, if a battery of a portable computer malfunctions and begins to burn on an airplane, the flight attendant may be charged with safely and quickly fighting the fire and/or moving the portable computer to the fire containment case. However, by the time the problem is noticed and the case is retrieved from a storage location on the plane, the portable computer may be actively burning, reaching temperatures that exceed several hundred degrees centigrade. While the fire containment case is particularly useful for safely holding a portable device that may have malfunctioned and is actively burning or combusting, there is a need for an improved apparatus for moving the portable electronic device from a remote location to into the containment case once the portable device is already burning. The transfer device described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,544,670 is functional, but still requires personal contact with burning portable electronic device, though with a gloved hand. Accordingly, an apparatus that can capture a portable electronic device that is actively burning is need for use with the fire containment case.
In view of the foregoing, an embodiment of the disclosure provides a capture apparatus and method for safely picking up and moving a portable electronic device into a fire containment case. The apparatus includes a tray portion having a rectangular base, opposing sides orthogonal to the base, tapered rod attached to the rectangular base between the opposing sides, and slide rails attached to the opposing sides. A rectangular lid portion is provided having five sides of a rectangular prism-shaped structure wherein an open side of the structure and the rectangular base define a cavity within the apparatus for holding the malfunctioning portable electronic device. The lid portion has a first handle on a first side end thereof, a second handle on a cover portion orthogonal to the first side end, and opposing sides attached to the cover, the first side end and a second side end. The first side end and the second side end further include slides for slidable engagement with the slide rails of the tray portion.
In another embodiment there is provided a method for safely approaching and picking up a malfunctioning portable electronic device and inserting the device into a fire containment case. The method includes providing a capture apparatus having a tray portion having a rectangular base, opposing sides orthogonal to the base, tapered rod attached to the rectangular base between the opposing sides, and slide rails attached to the opposing sides. The capture apparatus also has a rectangular lid portion having five sides of a rectangular prism-shaped structure wherein an open side of the structure and the rectangular base define a cavity within the apparatus for holding the malfunctioning portable electronic device. The lid portion has a first handle on a first side end thereof, a second handle on a cover portion orthogonal to the first end, and opposing sides attached to the cover, the first side end and a second side end. The first side end and the second side end further include slides for slidable engagement with the slide rails of the tray portion. During a capture operation, the lid portion is slid from a closed position to an opened position and the portable electronic device is approached using the capture apparatus as a shield. The portable electronic device is then covered with the lid portion and the tray portion is slid under the portable electronic device so that the portable electronic device is disposed within the cavity of the apparatus. Once captured with the apparatus, the capture apparatus containing the portable electronic device is inserted into the fire containment case.
Yet another embodiment provides a capture apparatus for moving a portable electronic device into a fire containment case. The capture apparatus includes a slidably engaged tray and cover defining a rectangular prism having a cavity therein wherein the tray includes a tapered rod for lifting the portable electronic device sufficient to slide the tray under the portable electronic device.
An advantage of the method and apparatus of the disclosed embodiments is that a malfunctioning portable electronic device can be safely captured and disposed of in a fire containment case quickly and without having to expose personal to burn hazards associated with grabbing the portable electronic device by hand. The entire capture device is sized so that it fits easily into a fire containment case for disposing of the device with minimal exposure to fire and toxic fumes. Other features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments may be evident from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.